Commuting from Naas to East Point

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Damo

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I'm about to start the daily commute from Naas to East Point Business Park! Not the easiest location to get to I know but...

I'd really welcome sugestion on the best way to get there and back and best times to travel. Has anyone personal experience of this?

Thanks.
 
I'm orginally from down that area and your best bet to avoid bad traffic might be go to the Luas Park & Ride at the Red Cow, travel to Connolly on the Luas and get onto a dart to Clontarf road. Driving would be a nightmare if you are 9-5. I think the bus service has improved though so you might be wise to check the times out and get the bus into town and the dart to Clontarf. There is also the arrow from Sallins but I think that just goes to Heuston so that would involve a hop onto the Luas and a dart from Connolly. That's the best of my knowledge so hope it helps somewhat!!. I'm open to correction btw!
 
Thanks Mag2006. Looks like car-luas-dart changes of transport are needed. With waiting etc. might talke very long door-to-door and be quite costly. Difficult to plan around especially in the winter months!

Has anyone other suggestions/ experience?

Damo.
 
It does sound very costly. I worked in Oracle for a while when I lived at home and I was near cracking up with the commute (that was in 1998/99) so I ended up renting in Clontarf in the end eventhough I had a car!!. Good luck to you!!.
 
almost incommutable in winter traffic I'd say. See if you could arrange an early starting/finishing time. That whole route is highly congested. Had a brother traveling from Celbridge to Fairview and he ended up renting too.
 
You could drive to Maynooth/Kilcock, about the same as driving to Red Cow and less traffic. Then get the train to Clontarf direct from there. You would have to change at Connolly.

The 7.20am train from Maynooth would have you in Clontarf at 8.20am. The 5.10pm train would have you back in Maynooth at 6.05pm. Not too shabby!!
 
Renting in Dublin is not an option for me. I might be able to stagger start and finish times but I need to find a reliable commute I can live with.

Car seem to be out so any other innovative suggestions? eg. Could I get to connolly and then walk or do I need to geth the dart to Clontarf?

Thanks.
 
I have done this commute for the last 5 years (driving), you have two options, leave early from home 6.45 AM (1 hour commute) or leave late 8.45 AM (1.10 commute). If you leave between 7.30 and 8.30 it will take you over 1.5 hours. In the evenings I leave between 6 and 6.30 and get home in about 1 hour.
 
Thanks Seandepaor.

Have you tried public transport more recently eg. luas, train etc.?

Does the 3 lanes to the rew cow make much of a difference?

Any other tips?

Thanks
 
The 3 lanes to the Red Cow means a very fast journey down there, but then bigger queues at the Red Cow. I have noticed that these queues start much earlier than normal. Plus the roadworks on the Red Cow and M50 will have an impact for the nect few years.

What about leaving a bicycle at Connolly and cycling to and from East Point? How safe would it be to leave a bike there be overnight though?
 
Just on the new 3 lane layout on the N7. My Dad was telling me whatever time you gain on the new motorway you loose once you hit Newlands Cross/Redcow and he leaves really early for work,he has to be in Inchicore for 8.30!.
 
I have a colleague who walks from Connolly in about 20 minutes - he used to get the DART for one stop but thought the walk was better overall. There are plenty of people who get on the DART at Connolly and get off at Clontarf Road, but since there is a 10-15 minute walk from the DART station to East Point anyway it seems a bit of a waste of time to get the train one stop. Makes sense on a rainy moring though.

There is a free bus from the DART station to East Point, but it is not exactly reliable. It can shave a few minutes off the walk, but the benefit can be lost by the more than a few minutes spent waiting for it. Between 0830 and 0900 there are so many people spilling off the DARTs that there is a huge queue, but by the time I get there about 0930 there is normally no queue. If there is a bus there i get it, if not I walk.

I have another colleague who drives (a fair bit) to Red Cow, gets the LUAS to Connolly and then gets the DART. I don't know how long it takes him, but it is a *long* time.

Driving away from East Point (assuming you can get parking anyway) appears to be hit and miss. Leave it till after about 1715 and it can take a good 10 minutes just to get out of East Point. I regularly walk faster than the cars in the queue. Even when you leave East Point you aren't near any major roads that would get you in the direction you want to go - so you are subject to the random behaviour of Dublin traffic.

z
 
In terms of innovative solutions - there is a helipad down the back of East Point if you happen to have a helicopter.

Alternatively (but this would cost *a bomb*) you could try using the M50 all the way through the port tunnel and it would bring you out at the back of East Point (beside the helipad), but unless you are loaded the prospect of being stuck in your can *and* paying something like €30 return on tolls every day as well as paying for the petrol, etc . . . isn't likely to appeal.

z
 
i did a similar commute on a infrequent basis... Luas is fine...just don-t do the Dart transfer part. Due to trains going North to Belfast, I have often stood at Connolly for 20/40 minutes in the morning to go the one stop...very frustrating...i would only do it if the weather is particularily bad.

For a staggered start, you would need to be leaving Naas before 6.30 am otherwise you are probably looking at at least 2 hours travel each way each day...
..I am returning to Ireland to work in eastpoint in a few weeks and there is no way that my sanity would hold up to what you are talking about. Friends that live in Naas and were working in eastpoint either moved house or resigned !
 
Thanks for the ino so far.

Three main options by the sounds of it:
1. By Car - but leave before 06.30 or after 08.30
2. Car to Red Cow - Luas to Connolly - walk to East Point
3. Train from Sallins to Hueston - Luas to Connolly - walk to east point

Is this it? Has anyone tries carpooling in relation to oprion no. 1 above or ant tips for options 2 and 3 above?
 
The 3 lanes on the N7 make no difference in the morning as all the traffic backs up at the redcow, previously the lights at Johnstown and Kill acted as staging posts, the real benefit of the 3 lanes is on the way home. Once you hit Newlands Cross you are 15 minutes to Naas as the next set of lights are past Portlaoise. The commute can get to you but its not enough for me to leave the job. I tried getting the train from Sallins but door to door its the same as driving, I also considered driving to the red cow and getting the Luas but again by the time you get the Luas and either walk or get a dart from Connolly you would be quicker in the car.
 
Looks like there no real way to avoid the car!!!!

If that's the case does car sharing work?
 
In fairness there is a commuter centre in Eastpoint and they are very proactive regarding [broken link removed]etc. Have a look at their site and you may find other people in the same boat as yourself...mmm...boat...from Sallins down the canal, out at Ringsend basin and then around Dublin port and moor it at Eastpoint...definitely quicker than driving !!
 
If the Maynooth train is an option you could get off at Drumcondra and walk to East point via Clonliffe Road/East Wall Road. Don't know how fast you can walk but I'd say about 25 mins. Or find some nice old lady on Clonliffe Rd who'll let you lock your bike in her front garden!
 
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